Don’t Cook Up Back Pain This Christmas!

Nothing much beats a traditional Christmas dinner – the roast, crispy roast potatoes, roasted veggies, cauliflower cheese, red cabbage, gravy … the list goes on! Of course getting the Christmas feast on the table is no mean feat! There’s lots of preparation and near military precision execution required in getting the food on the table and often quite a lot of stress!

It’s often easy for those putting on the feast to underestimate the physical demands that it can place on their bodies.

Our chiropractor at Newcastle Chiropractic Clinic says “It’s so easy to forget your posture when cooking which can often put you at risk of suffering back pain. Bending, lifting and standing for prolonged periods when not done correctly can cause problems. Preparing the Christmas Dinner can be very stressful and often involves cooking much larger portions than normal. It’s easy to forget this!”

Our chiropractor reminds you to check your posture when cooking and follow a few tips to help reduce the risk to your back:

In the lead up start moving the ingredients and cooking equipment you’ll need on the day to elbow or shoulder height to avoid having to overstretch on the day.

Use a chopping board to bring the counter top to the right height for you. If you are tall you may need to adjust your standing position by widening your legs to prevent stooping over.

There’ll be plenty of bending and lifting to do so remember to keep your back straight and bend at the knees and do the same when lifting.

Stay relaxed – this may be easier said than done on the day. Check your shoulders and if they’re starting to tense and lift up take a deep breath and readjust your posture.

After all the hard work, hopefully someone else will step in to do the washing up! But if not, don’t fall into the trap of slouching over the sink – stand in a comfortable position with your feet shoulder width apart.

Happy back pain free cooking this Christmas from all our team at Newcastle Chiropractic Clinic.